Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 24: Two- month long theatre workshop for budding artists of the State organized by veteran theatre personality and Padamshri Moti Lal Kemu began at Kashmiri Pandit Sabha here today.
The workshop was inaugurated by former Chief Secretary and MLC Vijay Bakaya. Besides the budding artists the function was attended by a galaxy of scholars and theatre personalities.
In his address Mr Bakaya highly lauded the efforts of Mr Kemu in organizing such theatre workshops in the State from time to time.
Mr Bakaya regretted that theatre in Valley suffered an immense loss during the turmoil and the artists had to remain indoors for a long time as they could not perform on stage due to threat perception which loomed large in the Valley.
On the occasion Maskar a documentary on gesture of Baand Pather was displayed on screen in which all intricacies in the theatre folk form were shown.
The documentary was directed was Ravi Kemu. They said that the Maskar a comedian whose art was mostly linked to religious institutions received a great setback after shrines and temples were set ablaze by the anti social elements during the turmoil and to feed themselves and their families they switched over to other forms of earning livelihood.
The prominent persons who were present on the occasion included Dr Agnishekhar, Prof P N Trisal, Bihari Kak, Vinay Raina, Dr K K Sharma, Dr Baljeet Singh, Jai Krishan Bezan, P L Sudeshi, M L Pandita, Vijay Malla, Ramesh Hangloo, Aryan Ramesh, Vijay Wali and Suhail.
The programme was conducted by Kusum Tickoo.